The present invention relates to electronic postage meters, and more particularly to electronic postage meters of the stand-alone type such as disclosed in aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 447,815, filed on Dec. 8, 1982 in the name of Danilo Buan and entitled, STAND-ALONE ELECTRONIC MAILING MACHINE.
Known electronic postage meters have generally comprised two separate units like their earlier mechanical forerunners i.e., a postage meter and base or mailing machine to enable the postage meter to be physically taken to the post office periodically to charge the meter. Such a meter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,507, issued on Nov. 17, 1981 and assigned to Pitney Bowes, Inc. of Stamford, Conn. With the advent of remote meter resetting systems, it is no longer necessary that the postage meter be separated into two distinct units since the necessity to take the meter to the post office for recharging has been eliminated. Further, it is desirable to have a self-contained electronic postage meter that includes the metering function as well as all drive mechanisms to reduce the size and weight of the meter as well as making it more economical to produce. The mechanical construction of such a meter is disclosed in detail in the aforementioned patent application entitled, STAND-ALONE ELECTRONIC MAILING MACHINE. With such electronic postage meters, it is desirable to attempt to complete a trip cycle should a malfunction occur during the trip cycle.
There are similarities in the operation of this electronic postage meter and the electronic postage meter disclosed in the aforementioned patent with certain unique exceptions. One such exception is a subroutine for completing an incomplete trip during power up of an electronic postage meter as will be described more fully hereinafter.